A Guide for Implementing Teen Court Programs.


MENU TITLE: A Guide for Implementing Teen Court
Programs
Series: OJJDP
Published: August 1996
4 pages
16,489 bytes

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention (OJJDP)

Shay Bilchik, Administrator

Fact Sheet #45 

A Guide for Implementing Teen Court Programs

by Tracy M. Godwin

The use of alcohol and drugs, drinking and driving,
and other risk-taking behaviors are serious issues
that face today's young people. Every year, the age
at which children must confront negative peer
pressure and make crucial decisions gets younger,
and the consequences of bad decisions can be
significant for them, their victims, and the
community. Adolescence is a pivotal stage of human
development. Sound guidance and meaningful learning
opportunities during this time will help youth
become responsible and productive citizens.
Therefore, adolescents should be a primary focus of
prevention and intervention efforts at Federal,
State, and local levels.

The Role of Teen Courts in the Justice System

Teen courts, also called peer and youth courts,
represent an alternative approach to the
traditional juvenile justice system. Most teen
courts require defendants to plead guilty prior to
participation in the program; however, a small
number of these courts are structured to determine
guilt or innocence. In a teen court, juvenile
offenders are held accountable for substance use
and other misdemeanor offenses and sentenced by a
jury of their peers to community service,
counseling, restitution, and/or an apology to the
victim.

Teen courts are seen as an effective intervention
in many jurisdictions where enforcement of
misdemeanor charges is sometimes given low priority
because of heavy caseloads and the need to focus on
more serious offenders. Teen courts also present
communities with opportunities to teach young
people valuable life and coping skills and promote
positive peer influence for youth who are
defendants and for volunteer youth who play a
variety of roles in the teen court process. These
volunteers serve not only as jurors but also as
defense or prosecuting attorneys, court clerks,
bailiffs, and even--in some cases--judges. Teen
courts mobilize a diverse mix of volunteer youth
and adults for active and constructive involvement
in addressing problems in their towns and cities. 

In the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention's (OJJDP) Guide for Implementing the
Comprehensive Strategy for Serious, Violent, and
Chronic Juvenile Offenders, teen court is included
as a graduated sanction with multiple purposes that
jurisdictions can use when youth are charged with
misdemeanor offenses. The teen court approach sends
a strong message to the community at large--
including other youth--that young people do not
condone law-breaking behaviors. 

As of October 1995, approximately 190 teen court
programs were operating in 25 States. Nationwide,
teen courts share many of the same fundamental
principles; however, the manner in which they
function in their day-to-day operations can vary
significantly from program to program. Developing
and implementing teen courts on a local level
requires a coordinated and collaborative effort
among various sectors of the community, including
the justice system, schools, and families. Teen
court programs are currently operated by juvenile
courts, juvenile probation departments, law
enforcement agencies, private nonprofit
organizations, and schools.

Development of the Guide

For teen courts to reach their maximum
effectiveness, juvenile justice agencies need
guidance in developing programs that are
philosophically sound and legally defensible. To
provide program organizers with baseline
information on developing, implementing, and
enhancing teen court programs within their
jurisdictions, the American Probation and Parole
Association (APPA) has developed Peer Justice and
Youth Empowerment: An Implementation Guide for Teen
Court Programs, a joint publication of the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of
the U.S. Department of Transportation and OJJDP of
the U.S. Department of Justice. Development of the
Guide was part of APPA's Teen Courts Project, which
also involves delivery of training and technical
assistance on teen court programs.

APPA found several different program models for
teen courts, but the Guide does not endorse one
particular model. Instead, the publication provides
program organizers with a general overview of
issues to consider and guides them through the
decisionmaking process for implementing a teen
court program tailored to local needs. Content
areas of the Guide include the following:

o Overview of the teen court concept.

o Descriptions of two teen court models: trial
models and peer jury models.

o Stakeholder partnerships.

o Legal issues.

o Program purpose, goals, and objectives.

o Offender population and referral process.

o Sentencing options and victim services.

o Effective case management practices.

o Recruitment, use, and training of volunteers.

o Financial resources.

o Program evaluation--e.g., performance-based
measures.

A checklist at the end of each chapter summarizes
the material covered. Other supplementary materials
include sample forms, program brochures, and
courtroom protocol; an implementation chart; and a
directory of teen court programs across the
country.

The purpose of the Guide is to encourage more
jurisdictions to develop and implement teen courts
as an effective vehicle to help youth realize that
they are accountable for their actions; to educate
them on the impact of their actions, either
positive or negative, on others in the community;
and to offer a hands-on juvenile justice system
experience for both youthful offenders and youth
volunteers who participate in the program. In doing
so, communities can join in the national commitment
to respond proactively to problems associated with
adolescent substance use and other misdemeanor
offenses.

For Further Information

For a free copy of Peer Justice and Youth
Empowerment: An Implementation Guide for Teen Court
Programs, please call OJJDP's Juvenile Justice
Clearinghouse (JJC) at 800-638-8736. The Guide for
Implementing the Comprehensive Strategy for
Serious, Violent, and Chronic Juvenile Offenders is
also available from JJC.

Additional information on APPA training and
technical assistance related to teen courts is
available from Tracy Godwin by fax (606-244-8001)
or by mail (Teen Courts Project Manager, APPA, c/o
The Council of State Governments, P.O. Box 11910,
Lexington, KY 40578-1910).

Tracy M. Godwin is the Project Manager for APPA's
Teen Courts Project, sponsored by NHTSA.

APPA is an international association of individuals
actively involved with probation, parole, and
community-based corrections in both the adult and
juvenile sectors. The association provides training
workshops, symposiums, and training institutes and
produces a variety of research documents as
resources for its membership.

FS-9645